Partnership with Lalana in Madagascar

In February 2015 Transaid started a new partnership with the Malagasy non-governmental organisation Lalana. This five-year relationship will focus on the promotion, development and implementation of initiatives and projects aiming to improve transport for development throughout the country.

Lalana was established in 1998 by a group of local development professionals and operates throughout the whole Madagascar. Its objective is to establish sustainable development processes in the rural world, in particular through improvement of roads, transport and social empowerment. Lalana works closely with community members, local elected representatives and technical officers.

The collaboration between Transaid and Lalana in Madagascar dates back to 2012 and began during the development of a project to support the mobility of local Community Health Workers (CHWs). That project was implemented in the context of the USAID-funded MAHEFA programme (MAlagasy HEniky ny FAhasalamana or MAlagasy HEalthy FAmilies) where Transaid is one of three major partners (alongside The Manoff Group and JSI Research & Training, Inc., the lead partner); Transaid and Lalana then developed together a training curriculum for maintenance, repairs and management of bicycles for CHWs. Since March 2013, over 350 CHWs have received bicycles purchased by MAHEFA and were trained by Lalana teams. Donation of further 700 bicycles and relevant training for health workers has been scheduled for completion in July/August 2015.

After this first successful collaboration and with MAHEFA now entering its final year of implementation, Transaid and Lalana have decided that the five year partnership would be the most effective way to continue and expand some of the most successful transport initiatives already initiated by Transaid. Both organisations will also work together in new areas, such as road safety.

The Transaid/Lalana partnership will begin with a new emergency transport initiative in slum areas of the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. This urban transport initiative will combine Transaid’s expertise with emergency transport systems with Lalana’s experience working in civic engagement, infrastructure and transport initiatives with communities in those neighborhoods. This first joint initiative is made possible thanks to the generous support of Transaid’s corporate member Bibby Distribution.

To read about the partnership in French please visit Lalana’s website or  click here.